Borussia Dortmund Triumphs 4-1 Over Athletic Bilbao In Champions League Match

Add as a preferred source on Google

Borussia Dortmund secured their first Champions League win of the season with a commanding 4-1 triumph over Athletic Bilbao. Niko Kovac's team scored twice before and after Athletic's lone goal, maintaining their unbeaten start to the 2025-26 campaign. The match began quietly at Signal Iduna Park until Daniel Svensson converted Karim Adeyemi's cross in the 28th minute, breaking the deadlock.

Four minutes into the second half, Dortmund doubled their lead. Carney Chukwuemeka found the net from a tight angle on the left after a skilful run. Athletic responded in the 61st minute when Gorka Guruzeta capitalised on a defensive error to score. However, Robert Navarro's potential equaliser was disallowed six minutes later.

Dortmund restored their two-goal advantage in the 82nd minute. Marcel Sabitzer's shot deflected off Guirassy, wrong-footing Unai Simon. Julian Brandt added another goal late on, capitalising on a midfield turnover and receiving Maximilian Beier's pass before striking into the bottom-right corner.

Guirassy was instrumental in Dortmund's performance, contributing a goal and an assist. He has now been involved in 20 Champions League goals since last season began, with only Barcelona's Raphinha surpassing him with 21 contributions. Dortmund showcased efficiency by scoring four goals from just 1.08 expected goals (xG), while Athletic managed only 0.96 xG from six attempts.

Playing at home has been advantageous for Dortmund in Europe; they have lost just once in their last 19 Champions League home games, winning twelve of them. This victory also marked Ernesto Valverde’s first consecutive Champions League defeats since November 2014 during his previous tenure with Athletic Bilbao.

Dortmund’s impressive display against Athletic Bilbao highlights their strength on home turf and strategic prowess under Niko Kovac. Their ability to convert limited chances into goals underscores their attacking efficiency this season.